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Friday, February 13, 2009 (14:45:16) |
| Tags : Railways Minister, Lalu Prasad, country, rail budget, parliament, citizen, fare hikes, new trains |
Fares cut, 43 new trains in Lalu Prasad's interim rail budget |
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New Delhi: Living up to his promise of easing the burden of average train passengers, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today cut fares by two percent, introduced 43 new trains and said feasibility studies on starting "bullet trains" in the country were progressing well.
Presenting the interim rail budget for 2009-10 in parliament, Lalu Prasad also announced the extension of 14 trains, an increase in the frequency of 14 others, apart earmarking a higher plan outlay of Rs.379.05 billion (Rs.37,905 crore/$7.75 billion) towards expansion next fiscal.
"I have great pride that, in its journey of service to the nation, the Indian Railways have reached an important milestone," said Lalu Prasad, who presented all the previous five rail budgets for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
"I can proudly say that Indian Railways scaled a new pinnacle every year and now stand at the zenith of success from where, without imposing any burden on the common man, the railways are set to establish the historic landmark of earning a cash surplus before dividend of more than Rs.90,000 crore (Rs.900 billion) in five years."
Although the minister continued with his populist measures and introduced some new trains, these were only interim measures, since by convention the regular budget in an election year is left to a new government.
The Indian Railways are the second largest railroad in the world under a single management, running more than 11,000 trains every day, 7,000 of which are for passengers.
The network comprises 108,706 km and ferries 14 million passengers daily from 6,853 stations across the length and breadth of the country. This is the reason why it is the only ministry that has a separate budget.
Lalu Prasad recalled in his budget speech that he had reduced the second class fares of all mail and express trains by 5 percent for tickets costing more than Rs.50 per passenger.
"Respecting the aspirations of the long distance passengers, I have decided this year to reduce the second class and sleeper class fares of all mail, express and ordinary passenger trains by 2 percent for tickets costing more than Rs.50 per passenger."
He also announced similar reduction in fares for air-conditioned classes.
"Earlier, at the time of the railway budget, people used to be apprehensive about the possible increase in passenger fares; now, on the other hand on the eve of my budget, people appear not only hopeful but sanguine about the likely reduction in passenger fares."
Lalu Prasad, who recently visited Japan and rode the famous "bullet train", also said that his ministry was conducting feasibility of running such trains on five sectors and commissioned a study for starting a bullet train on the Delhi-Patna sector.
He also announced four more "Garib Raths" - air-conditioned trains targeted at the economically weaker sections of the society for the poor.
The minister admitted that the current economic slowdown had, indeed, affected freight loading for Railways, especially in October and November, but said there were signs of improvement in the next two months.
"We are not only hopeful but confident that the budget targets for passenger and goods earnings set for this fiscal will be surpassed."
Highlights of interim railway budget
Following are the highlights of the interim rail budget for next fiscal presented by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad in Lok Sabha today:
Two percent reduction in fares for virtually all classes
Feasibility studies progressing well to start 'bullet trains' in India
Plan outlay for 2009-10 kept at Rs.379.05 billion (Rs.37,905 crore)
Railways will create record surplus of Rs.900 billion (Rs.90,000 crore) this fiscal
Rs.700 billion (Rs.70,000 crore) surplus ploughed back to improve efficiency
In past five years, no burden imposed on train passengers
Railways saw 14 percent rise in passenger income
Railways managed 8 percent growth in freight loading in five years
But freight down in current year due to economic downturn
Revised freight earnings for this fiscal to Rs.542.93 billion (Rs.54,293 crore)
Freight loading target retained at 850 million tonnes
Estimated freight earnings for next fiscal pegged at Rs.590.59 billion (Rs.59,059 crore)
Drop in train accidents, railway safety enhanced
Rs.367.73 billion (Rs.36,773 crore) spent this fiscal toward productivity, passenger facilities
Railways to introduce wagons with higher capacity
Railways to spend Rs.230 billion (Rs.23,000 crore) in 2009-10
Work has started on Delhi-Mumbai dedicated freight corridor
Dedicated freight corridor from Ludhiana to Kolkata to be inaugurated later this month
Kolkata Metro will be expanded
43 new train services to be started in 2009-10
Frequencies of 14 trains enhanced
Frequencies of several trains across the country increased to daily service
Extension of 14 trains envisaged
Passenger volume likely to grow by around 7 percent over previous year
Steps to have railway connectivity to Kashmir initiated
Railways have set up four call centres
Railways' success different from that of private sector: Lalu
The financial transformation of the Indian Railways - which registered a huge turnover this fiscal - is different from the private sector that resorts to "anti-people measures", Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav claimed while presenting the interim railway budget in the Lok Sabha today.
"The transformation of the railways is fundamentally different from the financial turnaround witnessed in private sector companies," Lalu said in his budget speech here.
"While private companies resort to anti-people measures like increase in prices, retrenchment of employees and lockouts, railways have kept the human aspect as the central focus and achieved an extraordinary feat without putting any extra burden on the common man or employees," he added.
According to the minister, the average annual growth rate of freight loading increased from around three percent in the last decade to about eight percent currently.
The declining trend in transportation of steel and cement has also been arrested, Lalu said.
"This transformation has been possible through the significant improvement in productivity of railway assets and efficient working by railway employees," he claimed.
List of 43 new trains announced in rail budget
Railways Minister Lalu Prasad today announced the introduction of 43 new trains, including four Garib Raths - air-conditioned trains for the poor - while presenting the interim railway budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha.
List of trains with increased frequency
The following are the trains with increased frequency announced in the interim railway budget for 2009-10:
Earlier stories:
Lalu Prasad to present interim rail budget today
New Delhi: Railways Minister Lalu Prasad is set to present the country's interim rail budget for the next fiscal in parliament Friday, with an expectation that he would once again spare the average citizen from fare hikes and introduce some new trains.
The minister had presented all the five previous rail budgets for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government since 2004, during which he set a record of sorts in terms of generating revenues despite lowering fares.
He will present an interim budget this time as elections are due soon and by convention the presentation of the regular budget in an election year is left to a new government.
"During his tenure so far, 604 new trains were introduced, in addition to 105 local trains," a senior official at Rail Bhavan said, even as Lalu Prasad was seen giving the final touches to the budget papers.
The regular rail budget presented last year had reduced fares across-the-board apart from a focus on hygiene, punctuality, new routes, better coaches and mobile ticketing.
He is also credited to have introduced the "Garib Rath" - the air-conditioned low-fare trains aimed at passengers from the lower economic strata of the society. As many as 15 such trains are currently running, and their numbers are expected to be increased.
The Indian Railways are the second largest railroad in the world under a single management, running more than 11,000 trains every day, 7,000 of which are for passengers.
The network comprises 108,706 km and ferries 14 million passengers daily from 6,853 stations across the length and breadth of the country. This is the reason why it is the only ministry that has a separate budget. (IANS)
Lalu's interim rail budget to look at people's welfare
New Delhi: Railways Minister Lalu Prasad is set to present to parliament the country's interim rail budget for the next fiscal Friday, and has said he will not ignore people's welfare thus raising expectations that the average citizen would be spared fare hikes.
"We cannot make many new programmes in this budget, but be assured the welfare of common people will be taken care of," Lalu Prasad told reporters on Thursday.
"And please do not try to connect any announcement with the forthcoming elections. We have always been people-friendly even in the tough time of such economical crisis and will continue to do so if we come back to power again," he said.
"Our government even in tough times has managed to sail through the economic crisis and barring Satyam episode, all remains well in this fiscal," the minister said.
Asked whether there would be any specific announcements, Lalu Prasad said, "Let's not jump to any conclusion and patiently wait for tomorrow (Friday). But be assured that we will not hurt common people."
However, speculation is high that there may be announcement for more Garib Raths or air-conditioned trains for the poor mostly in his home state Bihar and that there would be no hike in passengers fares.
As many as 15 such trains are currently running, and their numbers are expected to be increased.
The minister presented all the five previous rail budgets for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government since 2004, during which he set a record of sorts in terms of generating revenues despite lowering fares.
He will present an interim budget this time as elections are due soon and by convention the presentation of the regular budget in an election year is left to a new government.
"During his tenure so far, 604 new trains were introduced, in addition to 105 local trains," a senior official at Rail Bhavan said, while Lalu Prasad was seen giving the final touches to his budget papers.
The regular rail budget presented last year reduced fares across the board besides focusing on hygiene, punctuality, new routes, better coaches and mobile ticketing.
The Indian Railways are the second largest railroad in the world under a single management, running more than 11,000 trains every day, 7,000 of which are for passengers.
The network comprises 108,706 km and ferries 14 million passengers daily from 6,853 stations across the length and breadth of the country. This is the reason why it is the only ministry that has a separate budget. (IANS) |
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